Reincarnation
by Fushigi na Hito
Summary: Natsuki dies and Shizuru tries to carry on. Will she be able to go on or will she try to join Natsuki... And how one tries to go on when their sole reason to be alive has already gone away. Please Read&Review.
1. Sorrow

I've made some adjustments in the chapter. Just added some information to the story. Might be important.

Disclaimer: I don't own, never owned and unfortunately will never own Mai-HiME. It belongs to Sunrise.

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Reincarnation

A small group was joined together in a place no one wanted to be. They wore solemn faces for the occasion, one that no one wanted to face. Because such an occasion as that was would only bring pain to people. And to be in a place such as that to give goodbye to someone dear to you and know that person would never come back was a very agonizing experience, which never failed to bring excruciating pain to those who were left behind to go on.

"…And that is for sure that we will never forget her for the person she was..." A speech was being held at the cemetery.

An orange-haired young woman was saying to the small black dressed crowd around the grave in which the coffin was being lowered. "… For how kind she was to everyone and how important she was to her friends and loved ones…." There was a general commotion and many gasps were heard.

"Kind… yes, she used to be very kind, even though she looked like a cold person to those who didn't know her. That side of her even got her a nick name: ice princess. If only they knew her better… She used to look like a tough chick, but she had a very soft side, a soft heart that would only be shown to her beloved ones."

The young woman herself was trying very hard to hold her tears while some others were crying silently. However there was one person who held the biggest grief of everyone that was at that graveyard, or was it possibly the biggest grief in the world? And that person would have already fallen due to the weakness and numbness that overtook her body because of this death; this loss.

If it was not for one of her friends who was being used as a support to help her remain standing this single person who was crying silently, welling up so many tears that could have rivaled the flow of a river, would have already fallen to the floor and everyone was very much sure the crestfallen woman would not be able to stand again.

The orange-haired woman had difficulty to go on with her speech of respect for her friend, her best friend who was being buried. But she chose to speak instead of others because she was the second person who knew the deceased woman better. There was just one person who knew the late better and was not in conditions of saying one single word for her deceased wife.

The short strawberry-blonde haired woman swallowed aloud before saying her final goodbyes. "It's a statement to say that no one will ever be able to replace you and that you will be greatly missed by us all. But you will never leave our hearts and we know that you will look over us as we will go on. Please rest in peace, my sister, my friend." She finished with tears cascading down her eyes.

Earth was being thrown on top of the coffin that was now in the grave by rusty shovels and the cries of grievousness were general, some people being able to hold back their cries or to muffle them, other crying softly and trying to soothe each other, but there was one anguished cry that could not be soothed by anything or anyone or any word of comfort. There was then a great wail of pain and it pained everybody's heart just to hear it as the loss was too great for the chestnut haired woman. Her friends feared what could happen now.

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It seemed that as the coffin was buried it finally hit the woman that it had really happened, because for her it was being all too surreal.

It should not have been like this. It couldn't have possibly happened. But it did and to the honey-haired woman this day... this day that contrasted greatly to everything she was feeling now felt like a terrible nightmare. One that she couldn't wake up from… one that felt endless… one nightmare that she didn't know if she could survive through it. One that she was perfectly sure would soon enough be the end of her young life.

On this day… this sunny day, that had birds chirping merrily, that the sun was shining brightly in the many tear stained faces and that had such a perfect blue sky and not even one single cloud marring that vastness of blue.

It all contrasted the woman's feelings, because she had lost the most important person of her life. This damned day should have been the darkest of many ages and there should be a shrill wind blowing through her hair. It shouldn't be a colorful day… it should have been a grey day, because she herself felt gray, felt she couldn't see colors anymore, everything was grey for her, however as it was just the beginning of summer it was a sunny day.

"Why did she have to die when they had an entire life to enjoy and live together? Why did she have to go to a place her wife could not follow her? Why did she have to die when she was only 20 years old? When she would become 21 years old in exactly one month?" The chestnut haired woman was thinking to herself. What would she do now? She had an entire life to go on and live alone, because she herself was very young too: only 22… and already a widow. But more than that, because she couldn't follow her young wife after all she promised the blue haired woman.

Furthermore she felt such a big hollowness, she felt numbness, felt weakness inside her, inside her heart, in her body, she couldn't even think straight, she couldn't think at all. She felt lifeless and thus she didn't feel anything anymore, but the pain…the pain…pain pain pain pain pain and more pain. She was only capable of feeling this great PAIN that was breaking smashing crushing her very soul.

At the funeral when every one of her friends were there to offer her their sympathy, their condolences, she couldn't hear any of that. She hadn't snapped yet. She thought maybe she would wake up from this horrendous dream.

Instead her loyal friends were already beside her, supporting her, thanking and accepting their feelings of sympathy for her because she couldn't utter one single word.

She could not stop from looking at the fine young face that was now as pale and cold as one that was made of wax. She couldn't stop wondering that at anytime those beautiful eyes would open for her to be lost in the emerald green of those eyes and that she would hear the wonderful husky sound of her lover's voice saying that it was all a joke, and that she would be able to hold and feel the softness of those fine raven tresses. And she hoped from the bottom of her heart for it.

But she knew all too well that to hope and to happen were very different things, because she had already hoped for things before, ones that seemed unattainable, just like this love she had hoped so much for, and for some miracle she thought, she had the chance to have it, to experience it. Such a wonderful love but so short lived in her opinion and in the opinion of all her friends.

But… and now? What was she supposed to do without THIS LOVE that certainly, not just for her but for all who know her, was the very driving force of her existence? How was she supposed to go on without it? Without this love. She wouldn't love ever again and she wasn't even sure if she could go on living for long without it. Because the very moment she was told her lover died, she felt as lifeless, dead and cold as this corpse that has just been buried before her very own eyes.

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I was in the mood for something anguish and besides that I've been thinking about this one for more than 6 months.

Please, reaview and tell me about grammar mistakes you may spot.


	2. The night after the funeral

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Mai-hime. It maks me want to cry. T_T

A.N: I'm really sorry for the long delay, but I got terribly stuck in one part and the chapter was getting too long, so I decided to split it in two parts. I've also made some changes in the first chapter, to add some information. I hope you guys like this short chapter.

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What went wrong… Part I

July, 16th - Thursday

The night of that fateful day Shizuru was sitting on her armchair in the living room. It had passed just a few hours after Mai and Reito had left her in her home and asked if she wanted them to stay with her, to keep her company. In spite of not wanting to be alone, Shizuru politely declined their kind offer. It was no use having them stay with her, as the only company she would ever wish for was from someone whom was no longer among the living.

Furthermore since then she hadn't had any strength to go change clothes and had just been sitting on her armchair – the armchair in which Natsuki used to sit and hold Shizuru close to her body as the older woman would usually make herself comfortable on her lover's lap - in the dark as all the lights were off and the curtains of the window were closed. Just a few rays of the pale moonlight were able to somewhat slip through those thin curtains and light very faintly the living room. Indeed she was very tired and numb after such a trying day and she already knew the days that were to come would be even more trying.

Her dog… Natsuki's dog, Duran, the young husky puppy, which was only six months old, was lying down on his basket and even the puppy seemed to be sad as his tail seemed to be quite still. The woman wondered if he knew he wouldn't see his blue haired owner anymore; that he wouldn't be able to go on walks with the once energetic woman that was Natsuki.

Nevertheless Shizuru tried to think about her life… if she was feeling hungry at that moment, what would she do the next day and what about her college and job. However even if she wanted to think about those things she couldn't think about anything else aside Natsuki and the bleak future that awaited for her. How was she supposed to keep going on living without her love, without her heart? Yes, her heart. If that was what kept people alive, Shizuru felt like she was a dead alive person, for her heart, that she couldn't feel like beating anymore, had been buried that same afternoon with Natsuki.

And since she received that damned call about her wife in the afternoon before she couldn't fully understand how could a person be practically exhaling health in one day and be dead all of a sudden in the following day. How such a horrendous thing could have happened? Why did it have to happen to her? Why Natsuki, why? And it didn't matter how many times she asked in her head or even if she had shouted it to the entire world to hear, she knew she would never be answered.

Shizuru continued to sit there, pondering or trying to ponder about the things that had passed and the things that still would come to pass, but as much as she tried she could only remember, only see in front of her those deep emerald eyes, the soft features of her face and the dazzling and gentle smile of the blue haired woman. Even if she closed her eyes they would still be there, but they couldn't be there, so why were they there anyway? And it ached so much that even if she had not the strength to do anything else other than sit in the dark, she forced herself to stand up and go fetch a bottle of anything alcoholic she could find at her home, until she finally managed to find one bottle of sake Natsuki and she used to keep stored in the mini bar they kept at their home. It was more for visitors than for their own use as any of them didn't have the habit of drinking much, but this pain inside her chest was already past the point of unbearable.

She was breaking inside and she needed something to dull that pain, to lessen it, to make her forget at least for a while, because the way she was feeling at that moment she was sure she wouldn't be able to put up with that pain for long. First with uncertainty, she brought the glass with the liquid to her mouth and took one gulp. However the more she stared at the bottle and that liquid inside her cup the more she thought she needed it to forget at least for that night the hole that was in her heart… that was burning her very being to ashes and she decided to indulge in the alcohol to drown her pain and to put out those flames that were gnawing her insides.

And she started to drink. One gulp after another and another. The more she drank the more she poured sake in her cup. And the more her senses seemed to become hazy the more her feelings and her sadness got unleashed and tears started to leak from her eyes and fall to streak her face with their wet paths.

Big fat tears started to fall unrestrained and Shizuru was openly wailing in the darkness of her home with only her little puppy to hear her laments.

She was firmly gripping the cup that was now empty with her right hand until she couldn't take it anymore and threw it with all the force left in her at a wall. It crashed loudly startling the husky making him whine lowly as if it had been scolded. The glass shards were now all scattered around the floor.

Shizuru bent over her knees, rested her arms on her legs and held her wet face in her hands, as if to hide her countenance. She started mumbling things in her drunken stupor.

"You are such a horrible liar, Natsuki. You said we… we would always be together. That we had time. Why… why did you leave me? Why did you have to leave me? Why didn't you come back to me yesterday?" With each mumble she started remembering what had happened in the previous days.

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I'm getting done the part in which there should be a view to what happened to our favorite couple the day before the funeral. Please, bear with me and click in the button bellow to leave a review. XDD~


	3. How things happened

Thank you very much for all the reviews, favs and alerts and everyone who is reading my story.

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. I'm so sorry for the long delay. This was supposed to be a 11,000 word chapter but I split it because it really was too long.

I'm also rating it mature now, just in case, although I didn't write anything very graphic. It's just to be safe.

Disclaimer I still don't own Mai-HiME. If I did…

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The previous day...

_It was Tuesday and as both Natsuki and Shizuru worked and studied they had barely seen each other in the last few weeks because they mutually decided to work around the same time, roughly __three months prior, and they were trying to cope up with their new routines as they could fully enjoy each other's presence only during the weekend. Even though they had part-time jobs it was hard for them to be able to really be together because college also consumed quite a lot of their time. To make things worse they were not able to spend the weekend together due to Shizuru's assignment that was due Monday. Notwithstanding that Natsuki was also called to go resolve some emergency related to her job. As a result they had to be apart almost all the weekend._

_Monday was busy as usual and they only got to see each other very briefly at morning and at night. So now it was Tuesday and according to Shizuru she hadn't properly enjoyed Natsuki's company for 9 days. It was such a long time for her._

_The chestnut haired woman was heading to her home as it was almost__ 6 pm of another busy day both at college and at work. Luckily the woman would have the next days free because her university was going to host a conference that would last three days and most professors were enrolled with the conference. She was happy that she would at least have three days free from studies._

_However she wasn't certain about Natsuki as the younger woman had classes in a different university from Shizuru. She was almost certain the blue haired woman was going to have normal classes. Thinking about classes… the crimson eyed woman sighed. Although she was going home, she realized Natsuki must have already left for her classes as they were at night. Shizuru was a little disappointed because it was always the same… Shizuru had classes in the morning and Natsuki worked. In the afternoon it was Shizuru's turn to work and that was the time Natsuki had some free time. At night it was Natsuki who studied while Shizuru had the rest of the day free._

_That was why they almost didn't see each other during the week, because Natsuki would be back to their home around 11:30 pm from her classes and by this time Shizuru would already be asleep for her classes in the morning started around 7:30 am. Sometimes she would stay awake to wait for Natsuki but they had time only to exchange some words before falling asleep, as they would be exhausted from their routine. _

_She wished it was already weekend. She longed to see her blue haired wolf. The Kyoto born woman sighed again as there was nothing she could do._

_-----_

_As the crimson eyed woman entered her apartment she saw a pair of shoes at the entrance, heard some shuffling and saw Natsuki's helmet on top of the table. She was thinking it strange, because Natsuki should have already left some time ago. What could she be doing at home when she should have been already at university?_

_She hanged her coat on the door and soon went to her living room to see what her girl was doing. When she entered the room Natsuki was there sitting in her armchair reading the newspaper. Although the sight was adorable the older woman couldn't contain her curiosity and asked. "Natsuki, what are you doing here at such a time? It is already 6 pm. Don't you have classes today?" Snapping, with this, Natsuki from her reading._

"_Hi, love. I was waiting for you," the emerald eyed woman stated with a smile on her face while folding her newspaper and placing it on top of the stand beside the armchair._

"_But, shouldn't you have gone to class today?" the crimson eyed woman countered._

"_Actually, yes__," Natsuki told her while motioning Shizuru to get closer softly tapping twice her lap. Although puzzled by the other woman's behavior, Shizuru knew too well what Natsuki wanted from her right now. She approached the girl slowly and then sat on Natsuki's lap, turning her body slightly to wound her arms around her love's neck and snuggle into that warm body whilst Natsuki held Shizuru by her waist and pecked her cheek gently._

_Upon retreating a little the smaller woman noticed her wife's inquiring gaze and proceeded with her answer. "Well, there was nothing really important today at university, so I thought I could wait for you and we could go out to someplace. What do you think? Want to go out on a date with me?" Natsuki asked still smiling. There was no way Shizuru would refuse such a charming invitation._

_In fact, Shizuru blushed a little and giggled giddily as if she were a teen again. "Oh, Natsuki. Of course I would love to.__" she replied with one of her brightest smiles gracing her lips._

"_So, why don't you go take a bath to freshen up, so we can leave? I'm just going to change clothes while I wait for you." suggested the young of them._

"_I have a better idea." stated Shizuru softly tracing random patterns with her finger on Natsuki's left shoulder. "Why don't we take a shower together?" suggested the older woman wiggling her eyebrows and with a grin on her face._

_Natsuki smirked. She wanted to chortle a bit, because she had predicted what Shizuru was going to tell her. It was just like her… however she answered with a little laugh showing in her voice._

"_Shizuru, Shizuru, Shizuru... If we're going to take a shower together we'll never leave this house," She reasoned. "And wouldn't you like to go out? Besides, I have already taken a bath."_

_Shizuru then pouted. "Ikezu.__ Well, it can't be helped," She smiled a bit. "For the record, I want to go out with my Natsuki. I'll be back soon then". And the woman went to her bathroom to take a quick shower._

_After some minutes waiting Shizuru emerged from her bedroom wearing a midthigh leather black skirt and a white shirt, which she deliberately left two of the top buttons open to show some of her cleavage, plus the fact that her clothes hugged her frame well to show her nice proportioned curves to her partner. Perhaps she wanted to tease Natsuki a little because it had been a while she hadn't seen the nice hue of red on the woman's cheeks._

_Natsuki gasped. Her breath had been taken away by the view presented to her and she couldn't help herself but take a deep breath and tell Shizuru "You're stunning"._

_Shizuru also found Natsuki very gorgeous in her tight low waist jeans and fitting navy blue T-shirt that would show her sculpted curvy body. They kept staring at each other checking their partner out until Natsuki snapped out of her trance first. She extended an inviting arm towards Shizuru and asked "Shall we, my lady?" and Shizuru couldn't help but smirk and respond with a breathy "yes," as she bowed gracefully before taking the extended arm._

_They went to the door briefly stopping to put some shoes on. While Shizuru chose high-heeled black __boots Natsuki opted to for a simple pair of black shoes._

_Then th__ey left their apartment and went to the car. Natsuki, then, opened the door for Shizuru and the woman couldn't stop thinking how kind and polite Natsuki was behaving, more so than usual at least._

_Then, they drove away._

_---_

_They found themselves in downtown in a few minutes. Natsuki parked the car and stepped outside before Shizuru could, just to have the satisfaction of opening the door for her. She led Shizuru to a movie theater nearby, and held her hand all the way they headed to the place. Soon they were standing in the line of the cinema waiting to buy their tickets._

"_So?" Shizuru curiously asked "What movie are we going to watch__?" she queried her love._

_To her surprise, instead of the name of an action movie or horror movie, Natsuki replied "Any movie you want, Shizuru"._

_After one full minute of recomposing herself, because the answer had made her speechless, she questioned Natsuki. "Is it really okay? Even if I pick a corny movie?" She questioned hesitatingly._

"_Of course. It will be perfectly okay," The reply, naturally, made the honey haired woman look disbelievingly at the blue haired woman, to the point of asking. "Natsuki, are you feeling well today?" And she put her hand on the other's forehead just to make sure her teasing would affect the other woman._

_Natsuki blushed vigorously and swatted the hand off her forehead. "Of course I am," She growled/answered the ruby eyed woman. She also held her hand all the time to avoid any more teasing like the one done just a few minutes._

_In less than five minutes they were in the back seats of the dark theater with some pop corn and soda. Natsuki had settled to a somewhat romantic movie with minor action. When she decided the movie they were going to watch Natsuki __asked for the tickets and paid for them, not really paying attention to Shizuru's protests. The food was also paid by the blue haired woman. Now they were sitting in the dark waiting for the movie to start and Natsuki hadn't let go of Shizuru's hand yet._

_---_

_Sometime into the movie, Shizuru was really enjoying it. The major plot was a romance but Natsuki seemed to be enjoying it too. There were a few action scenes during the film but she didn't comment on them, just paid some attention while Shizuru sneaked glances towards her contented wolf puppy._

_Towards one of the final action scenes Natsuki slightly turned to Shizuru, whom was paying attention to the younger woman, and told the crimson eyed girl. "Shizuru, look at what will happen now. Someone told me it is the best part of the movie."_

_The action scene seemed to have already started and Shizuru turned her eyes towards the screen. Less than one minute after the older woman felt a hand in her face caressing her cheek and a pair of lips upon her own. Natsuki had just tricked her, but she didn't mind as Natsuki was already licking and softly sucking her lower lip asking for entrance, which was instantly granted._

_Then tongues met, not in a fierce clash battling for dominance, but in a gentle union __caressing each other trying to set a rhythm to their slow languorous dance. They were like that for some minutes until they had to stop to breathe due lack of air. Before retreating completely Natsuki nibbled Shizuru's lips gently and then she straightened a little to look at Shizuru. There was a glimmer in her eyes and a soft genuine smile on her slightly swollen lips besides the health shade of red gracing her cheeks. Natsuki smiled at Shizuru and gently squeezed the hand she was still holding before turning back to the screen to see the rest of the movie._

_At that time Shizuru couldn't think of anything else besides Natsuki to the point she didn't even realize that the movie had just ended. Indeed, as Natsuki said before, that was the best part of the movie and she had to concur with her._

_---_

_After the movie they walked around a bit, talking happily about their routines and jobs and classes, always holding hands. It was nice to be together like that. They really missed that kind of interaction they had, which was slightly lost because of their busy schedule. Weekends never lasted long enough for them to fully enjoy them. They window-shopped for a bit until Natsuki asked Shizuru "Are you hungry?" as they haven't had dinner yet._

_Shizuru put her hand over her belly and replied. "I am a little."_

"_It's almost 9 pm. Let's go home then," Natsuki answered. "We can eat something there."_

_With that Shizuru was a bit disappointed thinking Natsuki would take her to a fancy restaurant to have a romantic dinner but she didn't protest Natsuki's offer. It was all Natsuki's idea after all, to go out and spend time together._

_And they set on their path. __They were back at their car heading home. There was a comfortable silence around them, even with the older woman a bit crestfallen. It didn't take very long for then to arrive at their destiny, and as Natsuki had done all night she opened the passenger door to Shizuru, so she could step out of the car._

_They went to their apartment. Natsuki opened the door to Shizuru and as soon as they stepped into the living room a nice aroma of food wafted to their nostrils._

_In the darkness of their __cozy home all they could see was the soft light that was coming from the dining room. Natsuki, who was behind Shizuru smiled to herself. Shizuru was about to turn but a pair of arms deterred her from doing so. While one arm was wrapped around her shoulders the other was around her waist. Then just behind her ear she could feel Natsuki's soft breath teasing her and her sexy husky voice saying "Did you really think I would let the night end like that?"_

_Shizuru put one of her hands on the arm around her shoulders and the other on top of the arm securing her on her waist. Natsuki in turn nipped Shizuru's ear and lowered her head __kiss Shizuru's neck eliciting an intake of breath. Then she kissed the junction where shoulder meet neck and sucked just a little resulting in a gasp and hands tightening their grip on her arms._

_However before her ministrations would take her attention__ and Shizuru's to other paths she put her mouth next to Shizuru's ear again and told her. "Come on, we still have a dinner to enjoy"._

_Natsuki took Shizuru by the hand and led her to __a dining room with a very well decorated table set for a romantic dinner with the dim light of candles on top of it. Shizuru was admiring the table and was wondering who could have set up this beautiful table and more than that: how did Natsuki manage someone to do all this for them?_

_Natsuki pulled a chair for Shizuru to sit and gently pushed it again to accommodate the woman in all the process required by etiquette._

"_Wait here for a moment," said the emerald eyed woman and she excused herself for a minute heading in the direction of the living room. She disappeared for a moment through the door and Shizuru found herself somewhat puzzled until she started to listen to a soft instrumental song coming from the direction Natsuki had vanished._

_Soon the woman was back but before Natsuki could go get their food, Shizuru inquired softly. "So, what is on the menu?"_

"_Well," said the woman facing Shizuru. "I asked our chef to prepare a mixture of eastern and western cuisine. So as scheduled we are going to have for entry a dish of sushi and sashimi, one as well of imobou," and here she waited to see the woman's expression, which was one of amazement and continued in her listing. "And if you wish for, the main course will be a small portion of gnocchi and a small portion of lasagna as well." Natsuki answered._

"_Hm. It sounds lovely,__" Shizuru expressed her appreciation. Of course she liked Japanese cuisine better over western cuisine, but she also appreciated Italian cuisine as well over other western cuisine._

"_I hope you like all of it," she said softly and went to the kitchen to fetch the food. In a minute she was already back with the dishes of sushi and sashimi in hand. She landed them softly on top of the table and again went to the kitchen to get the dish of imobou. The chestnut haired girl was hungry and just the appearance of the food and its smell seemed to make it even tastier. Indeed those dishes were beautifully made._

_A third time __the blue haired woman disappeared through the doorway and as Shizuru thought she went to get the Italian food she reappeared instead with a bucket full of ice with a bottle of wine inside and two glasses on her hands._

"_Look what was left for us,__" said she pointing to the bucket._

_Natsuki put __the glasses on top of the table and carefully started to pour some wine to her love, however Shizuru interrupted her before a single drop could land inside the glass._

"_Natsuki, please. I do not want any wine.__ You know I don't really have the habit…" she reasoned._

"_It's okay, Shizuru. It is just a little and some flavor to the dinner." answered Natsuki._

"_I don't think a traditional Japanese cuisine could be suited by wine…" Shizuru countered._

"_Then you could think of it as ado to the romantic atmosphere that has been settled. And don't forget we have as main course gnocchi and lasagna. Besides they say a little dose of wine everyday__ does some good to one's health," again Natsuki tried to reason._

"_I'm really sorry, my dear Natsuki, but as lovely as the romantic atmosphere is I am obliged to inform you that that saying has already been proved wrong as recent researches have stated that even a small dose of wine does not do any good to health," the older woman replied knowingly._

_Natsuki couldn't help the grin that formed on her face. Shizuru arched a delicate eyebrow at that, but Natsuki soon explained her little expression._

"_I knew you were going to tell me that, but seriously, Shizuru… come on. I also believe once in a while won't do any harm for a couple who almost never drink and whom like to keep their sobriety," Natsuki cleverly returned._

_After such an answer Shizuru had no other choice but yield to Natsuki's wish. She decided to indulge a little that night and enjoy herself and her lover, who seldom behaved in a romantic manner. It just was not part of her nature, the older woman knew, but nonetheless she was intrigued for what the reason that had triggered such a__n idea on the blue haired woman head._

_The dinner was excellent, the Japanese food was very much delicious and even the Italian food had a very nice taste. While the pair was eating they were also talking about trivial silly things like the movie, the clothes and other things they had seen while window-shopping, how their routine had been those past days and some plans they were making for the future: what they wanted to do together, where they wanted to go to among other things until Shizuru was reminded of her little curiosity about that dinner._

_Between a bite of food and a sip of wine __Shizuru managed to ask about the thing that was making curious the most._

"_The dinner is lovely. I would like to know who did prepare this excellent food?" she gazed at Natsuki's face._

"_It was Mai. I asked her to do it. I told her I had planned out a date with you today and that I wanted to do something romantic for you, like take you to a restaurant. Actually she gave me the idea of a homemade dinner but as I really can't cook I had the idea to ask her to cook and she was delighted by the idea," Natsuki had a faint blush on her cheeks when she finished her little speech._

_A tint of red was noticeable on Shizuru's face as well. How could she not have blushed after listening to those words? Natsuki, her Natsuki, had planned a lovely night for them both to enjoy. Just to know it her heart started beating even faster. She was sure it was soaring._

_Natsuki gazed adoringly at her love's face. She slowly reached across the table and held Shizuru's hand. She caressed the back of said hand with her thumb and blushed just a bit more when she uttered. "I really missed you." And as expected, Shizuru's cheeks bore a redder shade too._

_She retracted her hand slowly and they resumed their dinner__ but remained in a comfortable silence. That moment they shared didn't need words and their only interactions were the exchange of smiles and gazes._

_----_

_In the living room soft music still played and the couple had __already moved there. Plates and cutlery were long forgotten inside the sink. The bottle of wine was also on top of the sink, more than half of it had been drunk in sips._

_Now the couple was found in the middle of a dim-lit living room, holding each other and dancing to the rhythm of the soft song. __Natsuki had her hands resting on Shizuru's waist and in turn Shizuru had wrapped her arms around Natsuki's neck._

_They were moving softly, step aside step aside forward forward back aside and back. Changing patterns of step, drawing circles, moving aside forward back and repeat._

_They were dancing like that, Shizuru resting her head on Natsuki's shoulders, until Natsuki slid her hand under Shizuru's white shirt and started caressing her skin. Shizuru shivered a bit and felt the soft hand glide slowly until the middle of her back, trace her spine, go upwards and stop just below her bra. Then she felt a hot mouth nipping her shoulder._

_The mouth was covering the shoulder with kisses and nips until it arrived at the crook of the neck, just to suck at it softly and then a little hard and nibble it. There was a low moan to please Natsuki's ears._

_Natsuki lifted her head and gazed softly at Shizuru's face. They didn't realize they had stopped long ago with their dance patterns. They just stood holding each other with limbs and gaze._

_Natsuki's hand gradually went upwards, tracing an arm, then a shoulder, a neck and settling itself upon a cheek, caressing it with her thumb._

_Holding the soft cheek she started to lean in slowly and __the honey haired woman also started to inch forward as well, until their lips met._

_Electricity run through their bodies and the kiss gradually changed from chaste to a sensual, languorous, fierce, hungry kiss. She kissed her deeply then caressing her tongue with her own, in a sensual languorous rhythm, then changing it to fierce and hungry and going back to sensual._

_Natsuki slid the hand that was caressing a cheek to __hold Shizuru in place by the nape, while the other hand explored the woman's body. It moved from her waist upward, massaging her rib, going up stationing by the side of her breast and going down, this time past the waist to hold a firm butt cheek._

_Shizuru moaned again and again in the navy-blue haired woman's mouth and Natsuki was muffling and swallowing every moan Shizuru was voicing._

_The older woman didn't let her hands be still as she, too, set on the task of exploring her lover's body. The chestnut haired woman's hands traveled around a soft body, caressing hips, going upwards to feel the skin of a well sculpted waist that was underneath a t-shirt, then going up again to softly fondle one breast and elicit a gasp from the shorter woman and down again to hold and caress hips._

_They stayed like that, exploring with mouths and hands as much as clothes would allow then to, until they had to pull back to breathe._

_Their breathing were shallow and erratic not because of lack of oxygen but because of the intense feelings they were getting from one another, feeling which demanded much more…_

_Shizuru, with a little difficulty to breathe, said. "Natsuki…"_

"_Yes?" the woman, with equal shallow gasps of air, said._

"_I think we should go to our bedroom now, don't you think?" was suggested._

"_Yes, you are right. I'd like that too," came the answer._

_Natsuki turned off the stereo and proceeded to lead her honey haired beauty to their bedroom by her hand. She left Shizuru standing in front of their bed and went to their night stand to turn on their lampshade creating a nice and sensual atmosphere because of the weak light that was dancing in the walls, in their bed, in their bodies._

_Natsuki went back to Shizuru and brushed her lips against the woman's, pulling back slowly making Shizuru follow her. She sat on the edge of her bed and told her love "Come here." and instantly she was straddled by the woman._

_She fully kissed her this time and started unbuttoning her shirt from bottom to top while her mouth was connected with that of the crimson eyed woman. As soon enough as every button was unfastened she moved her mouth to drop kisses on top of the supple breast presented to her. Then she unfastened the front clasp of Shizuru's sexy white with lace bra. _

_She pushed it aside, not dwelling on its texture, softness or design. She just wanted/needed Shizuru at the moment. She covered one rosy soft mound with her mouth kissing it softly while her other hand went to the neglected mound to give it attention. Shizuru held onto Natsuki's shoulder and hair while she threw her head backwards and filled their room with a sharp moan._

"_Natsuki…" an intake of air as the woman bellow was flicking her tongue around "…you are so aggressive today."_

_Then the woman stop__ped lavishing those mounds with the attention of her mouth and instead continued to massage and knead them with her hands. She pressed and nuzzled her cheek on Shizuru's bare skin and said. "I hope you do not think of that as a bad thing." And she looked into the woman's half-lidded eyes._

_Shizuru sighed still holding onto her love and replied. "No…it is not. Never will…be. In fact… I like… it… very much…" she answered between gasps and sighs._

_Natsuki went back to kissing Shizuru's skin, this time kissing between her soft valleys. For the second time that night she told the woman "I missed you… very much__," between kisses and little sucks._

_She halted what her hands were doing to __slide off the shirt that was hanging on Shizuru's shoulders. It was thrown on the floor. Her hands then snaked their way to the back of Shizuru's skirt unzipping it. The woman stood for a moment to let Natsuki slip the skirt off of her. It descended her long legs slowly, arriving at her feet. She stepped to the side and lifted her foot. Natsuki collected the skirt and threw it away to a far corner of the room and still holding the foot she placed it on top of her knee and run her hands along the soft skin from the ankle to the calf past the knee, where she planted a soft kiss, and up to the thigh to pay special attention to it. She placed a kiss on the woman's inner thigh as her hands were on the waistband of Shizuru's panties, but before she could pull them Shizuru retracted her leg from the blue haired woman, making the sitting woman look up at her in confusion._

"_Let me undress you first,__" she stated simply and went to work as Natsuki smiled and nodded yes to her._

_She reached the hem of Natsuki's t-shirt and pulled it over her head making her hair look a bit tousled. The t-shirt was soon discarded on the ground. Then she went to Natsuki's belt and unbuckled it, undid the button of her jeans and lowered her zipper. She tugged at it and Natsuki lifted her hips off the bed so Shizuru could pull her jeans and panties at the same time. Those were left on the ground and her hands were on Natsuki's shoulders massaging them and pushing the straps of the bra aside to make them fall down her arms. She reached behind her back unclasping the bra and getting it out of her way to Natsuki's bosom._

_She pushed the blue haired woman down until she was laying on the bed and straddled her waist. She looked down at her lover's face and upper body as Natsuki placed her hands on her hips and started playing with the waistband of her panties enjoying the softness of its material. She lowered herself to Natsuki and kissed her fully on the lips while massaging her breasts. Natsuki moaned and it was Shizuru's turn to swallow her moans. _

_Natsuki moved her right hand in between Shizuru's legs and started rubbing Shizuru's womanhood softly. Her hips started to move slowly to the rhythm of Natsuki's hand and her panties were getting wet by the minute. __Natsuki lowered her panties until the middle of her thighs and again put her right hand in Shizuru's most intimate place to massage her softly and teasingly feeling how much wet the woman was becoming. Shizuru moaned louder and arched her back leaning more into Natsuki's hand._

_Natsuki took advantage of her distraction and rolled them around the bed until she was on top of a surprised Shizuru._

"_Now Shizuru__," she whispered huskily right on the woman's ear blowing warm air into it. "I want tonight to be all about you. I want to please you over and over again until you are completely spent without any strength left." she said to the woman bellow her making her shiver._

"_But Natsuki, I want to…" Shizuru tried to talk but Natsuki interrupted her. "Shh, it's okay. We have time, we are young. Tonight will be only about you."_

_Natsuki pulled Shizuru's panties all the way down her legs and threw it away, not caring where it would land. _

_As they kissed the weak light flickered upon their skin and their shadows danced in the walls of the room as their bodies moved to the rhythm of their own dance, swinging to a symphony made by their moans, their gasps, their shallow breaths, but Natsuki was the conductor of that symphony of sounds and movements and they would be louder or quieter, faster or slower according to the rhythm she would set up with her hands, fingers and tongue._

_When the blue haired woman finished__ her conduct - much later that night -, Shizuru was, as Natsuki had said earlier, totally spent not able to move a single muscle falling asleep almost immediately while her partner drew the soft blankets on top of their bodies and held her lover close to her body falling asleep minutes later. However if someone could see them they would see a smile of satisfaction on their lips as they slept and dreamed about each other._

_ ------_

Please, leave a review and tell me how you are liking it, to criticize construtively or to tell me about my grammar mistakes (I'm quite sure there are some out there). Your review is always very important to me and it is my food. So tell me what you think so I can keep writing more and more. _Author does need food. ^^"  
_


	4. A tragedy happens

Thank you everyone for reading Reincarnation and special thanks for reviewers and subscribers. =D

I had some problems to write it because of some vocabulary that I needed to use and it was unknown to me, so I made a lot of research and even watched some episodes of Third Watch for references. XDDD~

Disclaimer: If only I could own Shizuru...  
Natsuki: What? ò_Ó

_----_

_The next morning Shizuru woke up slowly to a soft feeling of something moist on her face. Before opening her eyes she could tell there was a shadow hovering over her and that moist feeling was on her forehead, then it went to her eyelid, nose, cheek and finally it landed on her lips. She couldn't help but smile, which didn't go unnoticed by that 'shadow' that was above her. Then a lick to her lower lip was followed and she opened her mouth to receive a deep fabulous kiss that left her out of breath. Her hands were on Natsuki's back going up and down as the blue haired woman settled her naked body on top of Shizuru's._

_Shizuru's legs went to Natsuki's sides while the younger woman was making herself comfortable between Shizuru's legs. Their bodies were covered by a blanket that reached their waist and left their upper body free from any shelter._

_Natsuki was already making her way to the brunette's neck, but Shizuru wanted to know what time was that, because she was sure Natsuki had to go work and she had a feeling that her wife was already late._

"_What time is it?" she asked fully awake, not because of worry, but because of what Natsuki was doing to her._

"_I don't know,__" She replied with a hunky voice and continued her assault at the woman's neck._

_Shizuru looked at the clock displaying red numbers at her bedside. 8:53. She gasped, however it was not known if it was because of the time or because of Natsuki, who was already kneading Shizuru's bosom._

"_Natsuki…" Shizuru said/moaned holding her shoulders and pushing her slightly to stop what the woman was doing to her own chagrin._

_Natsuki stopped and looked right into Shizuru's eyes. "What is the problem?" she inquired concerned._

"_You are late for work," Shizuru stated with a skeptical look on her face. However Natsuki gave her a lopsided grin and answered. "No, I'm not late."_

"_And what could Natsuki possibly mean by not being late to work if it clearly is almost 9 A.M when you should arrive at you job at 8 o'clock?" the chestnut haired woman asked curious._

"_That's because I worked during the weekend. So they owed me a day to rest. I was planning this day to be on Friday, but I missed you so much." Natsuki smiled at Shizuru and planted a soft kiss on her forehead while her right hand caressed her cheek._

"_Natsuki's so sweet," Shizuru exclaimed. "I missed you too, very much". She gave Natsuki's lips a peck._

"_Now can I go back to loving my wife?" Natsuki asked with a lecherous smile on her face._

"_Only if after that I can…" she pretended she was thinking of something and then gave Natsuki one lecherous smile of her own and whispered in her ear what she wanted to do._

_The blue haired woman turned bright red and she became speechless for a moment whilst Shizuru grinned cheekily at her. She recomposed herself and replied her ever bold significant other "Well, that can be arranged, but first…"_

_She kissed Shizuru deeply and the couple spent better part of the morning in bed loving and worshipping each other._

_----_

"_So, are you really going to leave now?" Natsuki asked from her spot on the bed. She was sitting, leaning against the headboard and there was a blanket draped over her covering her body until her waist. Her torso was bare for the world to see. _

"_Yes, otherwise I am going to be late." answered the chestnut haired woman while she brushed her hair._

_Standing to grab her things Shizuru turned her head as Natsuki started to say. _

"_But you could stay in bed with me, you know." She suggested with a lecherous grin on her face. Then she licked her lips for effect._

_Shizuru, seeing the look in Natsuki's eyes and the woman licking her own lips, shuddered, even though the weather was somewhat hot. "That's a very appealing idea for me, but I have to work." she answered and turned her head away, so Natsuki would not see the faint blush forming on her cheeks. _

"_I could call the office for you and tell them you're sick. Like this you could stay in bed and…" there was a short pause, but before Shizuru could turn a pair of arms enveloped the chestnut haired woman from behind and she heard the husky voice that never failed to enthrall her right next her ear. "I could take care of you."_

"_Okay, I'm leaving now, because I don't want to be late, and…" she turned around and saw Natsuki standing there naked in all her glory "…before I change my mind too." Natsuki's response was too give her famous puppy eyes._

"_Okay, so feed Duran and would you pay the bills that are on top of the table, please?" Shizuru asked her lover._

"_Of course. Don't worry about that, okay?"_

_Shizuru then quickly pecked Natsuki on her lips and went her way to her job._

_Natsuki sighed. To tell the truth she was really hoping to be with Shizuru for more time, but the woman refused to miss one day of work._

'_It can't be helped… Now to pay those bills…'_

_She headed to the bathroom to take a shower and leave afterwards. Maybe a breakfast before leaving, or brunch seeing the time that already was at the moment._

_----_

_Not too long after Natsuki showered, got dressed and fed her dog. She decided to have a light brunch and thirty minutes after that she was already walking in the streets of Fuuka downtown. After she left her bike in the parking lot she headed to the bank. _

_When the blue haired woman arrived there she got a bit grumpy because there was a very big line waiting inside the bank._

'_That's great…' she thought. '…instead of getting a day off work to lazy around in bed with my girl I have to be stuck in a stupid bank… I guess it can't be helped'._

_In that instant she saw a familiar redhead coming to the line to stand just behind her._

"_Well, look just who is here. I didn't think I would see you today at such a time," said Mai. "So, how were things with you and Shizuru yesterday?"_

"_I didn't think I would have left my house at this time too, though to some it could be considered late, but Shizuru kept saying she needed to work." responded the blue haired woman. "But, everything went well yesterday."_

"_What a shame she didn't want to lose a day's work. Otherwise I bet you two would still be having se…" _

"_Shut up." Natsuki interrupted her friend while her cheeks reddened and people stared at the friends talking._

_While Mai cheekily grinned and snickered behind her hand Natsuki recovered from her blush and when the colour of her cheeks had subsided she told her best friend._

"_By the way, she loved dinner. Both Japanese and Italian cuisine and she wanted to thank you for the trouble." _

"_It was nothing, really. You know, that's what friends are for, right?" She completed her answer. "Besides, I'm glad I was able to help. As your best friend I know that it's quite hard to bring out your romantic side. Who would ever think of you as the romantic kind?" She was saying with a humorous voice._

"_Oh, shut up... I am romantic." protested the blue haired woman._

"_Yeah… and once a while the world is given a sign that it will end…" counter attacked the orange haired woman._

"_Oh man! Sometimes you can be worse than Nao." Natsuki couldn't help but state._

"_Okay, I will stop pissing you off now if you don't offend me anymore." the bust woman said solemnly._

_When Mai said that Natsuki burst into laughter. She just couldn't help, because she really found what Mai said funny._

"_Poor girl. What would she say if she knew you're talking like this behind her back?" answered the now amused woman._

"_That's just a joke, but she would not be pleased, for sure. You know her…" _

_For a while the friends kept talking in the bank line until they were able to pay their bills. As they were heading to the exit Natsuki asked Mai. "Hey, do you want a lift? I'm with my bike." They were neighbors, as Mai lived across the street._

"_Sure." The red haired woman replied._

_Then they left the bank and went to Natsuki's bike. The blue haired woman got on her bike and gave an extra helmet to her friend. When Mai was ready behind Natsuki they took off. _

_It was almost 1 pm and the car traffic was already getting a little worse because of the volume of cars in the streets. However it was still easier for Natsuki to avoid the cars and get to her destination faster._

_As she drove Mai tightened her arms around Natsuki's waist because of the fright of falling from the bike, but to her relief Natsuki made a stop at a small grocery store a few blocks from their homes. Although clearly relieved of stopping for a moment and not having to go through the heavy traffic to ride in the narrow gaps that surged among the cars, Mai was quite curious of why Natsuki parked there, but before she could ask anything Natsuki was already saying._

"_I need to get some things and I think I'm almost running out of mayo. Come on, you're gonna help me here."_

_Natsuki was already walking to the store and soon Mai was beside her. When they were inside the shop the red haired woman unconsciously let out a sigh, which prompted her to say._

"_Before I forget, you held me really tight while we were riding. I thought you were going to squeeze the air out of me. Besides, if Shizuru had seen that you would probably be dead by now."_

"_O… of course I held you like that," Mai was saying, almost screaming and some people were looking at then and she proceeded with her speech with a lower voice to avoid unwanted attention. "You were driving like crazy, I thought I would fall from the bike and that would be the end of me in that traffic."_

"_Shut up. Sheesh. I was driving carefully. It is you that is a scared cat, besides don't you trust me? You didn't die, did you? Believe me when I tell you you're not gonna die today, okay?_

"_Okay, okay. Stop with that will you? Anyways, what do you need?" asked Mai trying to change the subject with success._

_They walked around the shop gathering some things and after a couple of minutes they were already going to the cashier when Natsuki stopped seeing her things and remembered something._

"_Sheesh, I forgot the tea. I have to get some to Shizuru. Natsuki was saying more to herself than to Mai, but her friend had heard her and suggested._

"_I'll get some. While I do that why don't you go to the cashier?"_

"_All right. Could you pick earl grey and green tea, please?" questioned the blue haired woman._

"_Sure. Be right back." said the young woman disappearing behind some shelves, while Natsuki went to pay for her things._

_The shop was indeed small and there was only two cashiers and while a man was scanning the goods of a couple the other was free. Natsuki then went to the free cashier and a young woman started scanning the few products Natsuki had gotten._

_The couple was collecting their things to leave and the cashier who was attending Natsuki was busy almost finishing the scanning when a strange man entered the store and went to the young woman as to ask something, but Natsuki realized something was off because he was wearing a hood in a very hot day and sunglasses inside the store._

_Before anyone could do anything he pointed the gun to the clerk and said._

"_Give me all of your money," he commanded and then pointing it in the direction of Natsuki and the couple he said. "And you three don't do anything you'll regret."_

_Natsuki and the couple didn't dare do anything. Natsuki had no longer her powers since the end of the Obsidian Lord and the destruction of the Red Star. If she had her powers this guy would be no match for her she knew that, but now that she couldn't count on them she had to face life and her problems like any normal human being. And as a normal person she had to be prudent because lives were at stakes in such a situation. So they just stood near the cashiers not risking to go anywhere else when a gun was pointed at them._

_The clerks were putting the money on the counter but there wasn't much and it was making the robber angry._

"_FUCK!! WHERE IS THE FUCKING MONEY? WHERE IS THE REST? WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU HIDDEN IT? _

"_We receive more payment with cards than money. We haven't hidden anything, please." was the meek answer of the young woman, who was almost crying with fright._

_Listening to all the commotion near the exit the other costumers soon realized what was going on in the shop and they remained hidden behind the shelves feeling safer, but Mai tried to go to where Natsuki was. However the bandit was frantically turning his head because he was afraid someone would try to attack him and when he saw Mai moving to them he yelled out at her and the possible other customers of the shop, which were a few._

"_YOU RED-HEAD, STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE OR I'M GOONA SHOOT. I SWEAR I'LL SHOOT SOMEONE."_

_He aimed at the young woman clerk and hardened his index finger on the trigger as if he were going to shoot to show how serious he was. The woman started crying afraid of what could happen and Mai stopped right at the same time, not wanting anyone to get hurt._

_He couldn't be in that shop anymore. So he decided what he would do. Still aiming at the clerks he approached the counter to collect the money that was on top of it to put it in his jeans pocket. _

_Done that he started to back towards the door still aiming at the clerks. He was paying attention to the people inside and didn't see when a man appeared at the door. There was surprise in the face of the clerks but they didn't say anything, but too nervous the thief didn't realize there was a person behind him. It was the shop owner._

_When the thief was about to spun around and exit the shop in a sprint the man behind him flew at him grabbing his armed hand, trying to take the gun from him. They started to wrestle and the young woman gasped afraid of what could happen._

_Both men tried to reach for the gun while everyone else could only watch paralyzed with uncertainty. The thief's hands were above his head with both guys still struggling to get the gun. The robber was trying to direct the gun at the other man to shoot but he was not being able to because the other wouldn't let him, knowing full well the danger he would be in if he let. He bent his body trying to get away of the other man but he didn't have luck because the owner would always make the thief be with his arm outstretched away from their bodies to difficulty anything he wanted to do like shooting. _

_Turning around, struggling, hitting each other's back into a wall, bending and standing again they were fighting fiercely. The weaker would have his fate sealed because the gun would go to the hands of the stronger, but their strength seemed to be quite even._

_Struggling with each other both fell to the floor, but while they were falling two shots were made because the thief was trying to frighten the shop owner pressuring the trigger twice and some seconds after they lay still struggling on the floor another one fell with a loud thud._

_Natsuki had been shot. She was bleeding now and she lay on her back on the floor feeling weak, staring at the ceiling of the shop. Looking up she could faintly see the face of the couple standing near her and looking at her with concern._

"_NATSUKI," screamed Mai frightened and run to her best friend to try to help her totally disregarding the danger of being the next victim._

_The shop owner grabbed the thief's hand and was able to hit it several times on the floor making him finally let go of the gun and getting it rapidly the shop owner pointed the gun at the robber standing above him making him paralyzed with fear. "Get the duct tape, fast." He commanded his employees which the man clerk did readily. "Tie his arms behind his back and his legs." It didn't take long for him to do the bidding. And while he was doing it the woman clerk was trying to help the wounded costumer doing what the red haired woman was telling her._

_While the shop owner was getting the gun away from the thief and giving orders to his clerk, Mai had already knelt beside her friend attending to her. She held Natsuki's hand and looked at her. Natsuki felt something holding her hand and when Mai's countenance was within her sight she exclaimed very faintly "Mai!" Mai was already feeling the pulse in Natsuki's neck. It was weak and her hand was getting cold. Mai knew then that her friend could go into a shock, so she started to do everything she could for her friend to prevent that from happening. She looked around very fast and yelled to anyone who heard her. "Someone call an ambulance fast." and saying that she took out the light jacket she was wearing and folded it to put it beneath Natsuki's head. _

_The woman of the couple that was near Natsuki then used her cell phone to call an ambulance while the shop owner used his own phone to call the police._

_The young woman clerk knelt beside the busty woman and asked uncertain. "Wh… what can I do to help?" hearing the question Mai said. "Could you get a clean cloth or a towel, please?" and she went readily to get the towels. The woman came back in just one minute and saw Mai with her hands full of blood making pressure in one of the bullet wounds that were bleeding profusely. One of the wound was above her chest and the other in her stomach. The red haired woman got the towels and swiftly placed each one on each bleeding wound of Natsuki and told the woman to make pressure on the wound on Natsuki's stomach, while she was doing it to her friends chest._

"_Make pressure with the towel. We can't let her lose blood." She said to the woman fast and focusing her attention on her friend again she told the navy blue haired woman. "Hang on, Natsuki. They'll be here soon, so hold on."_

"_Mai…" was the faint whisper. _

"_Don't talk. You have to rest." Mai told her friend. 'I have to keep talking to her and not let her talk. She can't get unconscious and she is already pale.' was Mai's thoughts. She remembered her classes about first aid and what to do in such times, but she never thought she would have to use that knowledge to help a friend. _

"_Shi…zuru… you ha…ve to t…tell her." said Natsuki with difficulty._

"_Don't worry Natsuki," told Mai holding Natsuki's hand in her bloody one. "You'll see her soon again, because you're going to be well as if nothing had happened." She herself was starting to have doubts, but her only choice was to believe in that. She had to believe for her friend and for herself and so she did with all her heart._

"_Thirsty," the blue haired girl managed to say as loud as a whisper. Then the young woman helping Mai suggested. "Let's give her some water." but as soon as those words left her mouth Mai denied vehemently. "NO. We can't. It could make her hemorrhage worse. Let's just wait for the ambulance. They will give a better assistance to her." and saying that she couldn't help but think. 'Why are they taking too long? They should already be here by now. If they don't come soon… NO!!! Get a grip and don't think about that, Mai. Don't panic. Just help Natsuki the best way you can.'_

_However it was hard to stay cool and she couldn't stop the question forming on her mouth from being voiced and looking at the couple she questioned. "Why aren't they here? They should be here by now." It was no use, she knew and she focused her attention on her friend again. When she looked at Natsuki she saw her green eyes go out of focus and coming back again to look at her face. It seemed that she was having some lapses of consciousness. She was fighting to stay awake but it seems it was getting very hard._

"_Sleepy." She poorly managed to whisper._

"_Natsuki, don't sleep okay. Fight it. I know you can. You have to be awake." And Mai started to talk away to Natsuki to use her voice as an anchor. She was not going to let her friend be unconscious, so she talked about anything that came to mind, as random as it could be._

_And as Mai talked Natsuki could hear bits of what she said "… and after tha… could get everybo… toge… me… at Haruka's hou… beach… ke Duran with …u and …zuru." There seemed to be times when Mai's voice faded. (¹)_

_Mai kept talking but it seemed an eternity since everything happened, however few minutes after she started talking she could hear the distinct noise of a siren and although she was talking she prayed deep down that it was the ambulance. She didn't know what she was talking about anymore, she just kept using her voice even if she was note paying attention to what she was saying because her head was a mess and the only thing of the million thoughts going on around her head that she was paying attention to was her prayer for Natsuki to be well. (²)_

_At that moment the paramedics entered the shop with a stretcher and as soon as they saw the blue haired woman lying on her back they went directly to her. They immobilized her neck and moved her to the stretcher. Then one of the paramedics put an oxygen mask on Natsuki and examined her pulse and her eyes. Then they took her to the ambulance and Mai followed close. "I'm going with her." She said to the paramedics as soon as they got Natsuki inside the ambulance._

"_Look," began one of the paramedics while the other was already in the driver seat revving the car and giving a description about the patient through the radio. "You've already made a good job not letting her lose very much blood but we have to go and fast. Stay here, please." he said. "No way, she's my best friend and I'm going with you. That's final." Then she sat beside Natsuki inside the ambulance and seeing that there would be no way to make the red haired woman stay the paramedic got in the ambulance and they went to the hospital._

"_Okay then. Keep talking to her." he told Mai what to do while he made an IV cannulation in the cephalic vein of her forearm. Mai did as told while she held her friend's hand until Natsuki tried to say again. "Shi..zuru." and as her voice was muffled by the mask Mai almost didn't get what she said but managed to hear the 'zuru' part and using her cell phone she called the chestnut haired woman._

"_Hello, Shizuru." with an apprehensive voice. _

"_Ara, Tokiha-san. Wh..." but the Kyoto born woman couldn't finish as she was cut. "Shizuru, something happened to Natsuki. She's being taken to the hospital. You need to get there immediately, please. I cannot explain through the phone. Just go to Fuuka Hospital." And Mai hung up because she couldn't bear to tell what happened through the phone._

_When Shizuru heard what Mai had said she paled considerably and before she screamed "Mai" the line had gone dead. She let her phone fall to the floor and stood frozen not knowing what to do. Haruka, Shizuru's co-work, who was near her watched the woman and asked when the chestnut haired woman lost the colour of her face. "What's wrong?" eyeing her with surprise. "I need to get to the hospital. Natsuki…" and again she was interrupted that day, because Haruka said in her bossy way. "What are you waiting for? Go already. Don't worry, I'll handle things here."_

_After such speech Shizuru just had the time to say "thank you" to Haruka and made a dash to the street to take the fist cab she could see._

_In the ambulance Natsuki was again trying to tell Mai something. It was hard because of the mask but she tried anyway and squeezing her friend's hand she told the woman. "Mai, if something happens… make Shizuru pro…mise she will li….live for me and you take care of her. Keep an eye on her. She would try to fo…llow me. I know her… too well."_

"_Don't talk, Natsuki. You won't go anywhere and I know you'll be as good as new, so don't say something like that." pleaded Mai._

"_Just promise, Mai." She queried resolutely. Not seeing any other way to make the taller woman rest she acquiesced. "I promise, so now don't say anything else and just save your energy, please."_

"_Thank you" Natsuki could only mouth._

_The ambulance was cutting the way among cars to the hospital. The driver was going as fast as he could and the siren blasted incessantly, but even with cars giving way to the ambulance the traffic was still bad and they took almost fifteen minutes to get to the hospital._

_When the ambulance arrived at the hospital there were a couple of doctors waiting for them and as they pushed the stretcher inside the building while describing the last symptoms Natsuki was showing a cab arrived there and Shizuru came out of it throwing a wad of money at the driver and running to the hospital without caring if she had exchange or not._

_Mai had just waited at the door because she saw when Shizuru appeared running towards the building. She would run directly inside the building because she had seen a blue haired woman in a stretcher being hastily pushed inside the hospital by doctor and paramedics with concerned faces and with that her heart had almost stopped beating but she kept running to the hospital._

_When she was about to pass Mai she was grabbed by the red haired woman and started struggling with her while saying. "Let go. I want to see Natsuki. Where is she. I want to see her." with tears forming in her eyes._

_Mai had wrapped her arms around the distressed woman impeding her from running inside the hospital and ruining Shizuru's white blouse with her bloodied hands. While Shizuru was almost screaming, Mai was telling her. "Calm down, you have to calm down. It is useless to go inside the building agitated like this. She's being attended to." Still Shizuru, acting stubbornly, was still trying to free herself from the busty woman and it was getting difficulty for Mai to contain her. While they were grappling there were some people inside the hospital watching the scene, but not intervening in the 'fight'._

_Shizuru continued to struggle until she finally was tired physically and emotionally and fell to her knees with Mai still holding her and falling with her. She hung her head and taking her hands to her face she hid her countenance behind them and started crying. "How this happened?" She asked between sobs. She was scared for her love and the only thing Mai could do was continue to hold her until she calmed down. She wanted to tell Shizuru everything would be okay, but after Natsuki making her promise such a thing something started to gnaw at her chest and she just couldn't bring herself to say something that sounded reassuring but could also sound as such a cruel hope._

_And she felt her insides gnawing because she remembered her mother making her promise she would take care of Takumi before dying. Why did they have to say such things in those critical moments? Perhaps if Natsuki hadn't made her promise she would not need to worry so much, but as she remembered her mother and the circumstances pervading that time of the promise, almost the same as this time, she could not help it. _

_After some minutes when Shizuru calmed down considerably they entered the hospital and sat in the waiting room. That was the only thing left for them to do, to wait besides to hope for Natsuki. Mai then proceed to explain to her what had happened from the time she met Natsuki until they arrived to the hospital. Shizuru couldn't believe that because of some bills Natsuki could… No, she didn't even want to think about that. That couldn't happen. Not now in the happiest moment of their lives…_

_Seeing the expression on Shizuru's eyes Mai squeeze her hand reassuringly and for the first time Shizuru realized there was blood in her hands. "You should wash them" she said quietly and looked away. She didn't want to see Natsuki's blood. It just made her feel worse._

_Mai decided it was a good time to do just that, because she was impatient and it would be something of a distraction._

_When Mai returned Shizuru had vanished. She started walking through the halls of the hospital until she neared a room with a signal of surgery on to indicate it was in progress. There Shizuru was in front of the door looking at it, trying to see how things were through that door because they were taking so long._

"_Shizuru, what are you doing here? It will be no use standing here. Please, let's seat for a bit to wait," Shizuru, although she really wanted to go inside that room to see Natsuki, could just follow Mai weakly. They sat in that same hallway and waited for hours._

_While waiting some of their friends arrived at the hospital. Reito, Haruka and Yukino and Akane and Kazuya. Nao knew what had happened but she couldn't stand being in a hospital waiting. They wanted to offer words of comfort, to say that everything could be okay, but the expression on Shizuru's face wouldn't let them do that. The only way of showing how they felt was to stay there and make company.(³)_

_After two hours of waiting the sign was turned off indicating the end of surgery. Shizuru readily sprung to her feet and went directly to the doctor that was leaving the room and removing his mask while Mai followed close behind. She wanted to know immediately how Natsuki was, because two hours for her seemed like an eternity. She was desperate for enlightenment. _

_When he removed his mask completely they could see in his face a grim expression. He just could shake his head and tell Shizuru. "I'm sorry." After listening to those words she couldn't even cry because she didn't believe that, but in her face could be seen that hollow expression similar to the one she had during the carnival. Haruka and Yukino got afraid not of her but for Shizuru, not knowing what she would be capable of doing because in their opinion the expressionless face Shizuru showed was worse than the one she had during the carnival._

_Shizuru turned around with shoulders slumped and started walking not paying attention to where she was going, very much like the way she was doing during that horrible time of their lives. Her left eye was twitching._

_No one could say anything. Akane was crying and Kazuya was holding her. Yukino was crying silently while Haruka was trying to be strong and Reito had a disbelieving expression on his face. Mai was also trying to be strong because she had to talk to Shizuru. She just asked Reito to take care of the papers and bureaucracy because Shizuru was in no condition at all._

_Then she held Shizuru, one hand around her shoulder and the other holding her hand, leading her to a seat near then. When Shizuru sat there Mai knelt in front of her and held her face in her hands because she needed the ex-kaichou attention. She called once but there was no response then she said. "Shizuru, Natsuki wanted me to tell you something but you need to pay attention to me," and that made the woman look at Mai's orbs. When she had the Kyoto born woman's attention she proceeded. "Shizuru, Natsuki asked me to make you promise that you will live for her. I know this is cruel, to say something like this at such a time…" and tears started to roll the red head's cheeks. "…but it was her last wish and she made me promise her I would make you promise this. But you will not promise me. You have to promise her you will live for her because she wanted you to… she said she knew you too well…" With that Shizuru also started crying and she could only bury her head in Mai's shoulder for support. She needed strength and she was going to borrow it from Mai._

_After a while of crying Shizuru mumbled softly to Mai "I want to see her," and looked towards the surgery room. Mai helped the woman to stand up because that emotional upheaval had totally drained her energy. When they entered the room the last nursing was leaving the room after cleaning for a bit the room. She didn't say anything; she just looked sad because she couldn't imagine the pain the family and friends of the blue haired woman were feeling._

_Shizuru went to the body while Mai stayed behind. The chestnut haired woman pulled weakly the sheet until it was no longer covering Natsuki's face. Shizuru felt she could do only something for the girl now and she started talking. "Natsuki… Mai told me what you said before… I love you and you'll always be in my heart and I came here to promise you I will do my best to live my life… for you," tears started falling again. "You were right… you know me too well."_

_Mai, the only witness to this promise, started crying again with Shizru's words. After a while she saw Shizuru gazing at the 'now' serene pale face, then mouthing something inaudibly and turning around to leave the room before the chestnut haired woman would collaps in that same room where the shell of her beloved one was. _

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Crying, Shizuru dragged herself to her bed. She was crouching on the floor and seemed to not have any strength left in her. When she climbed her bed she just passed out from tiredness and all the distress, desolation, grief, pain she had experienced.

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Author's Note:

_¹ - Natsuki was listening to parts of Mai's speech. It's like when you're trying to listen to a conversation when you're half asleep._

_² - It's interesting how we sometimes don't know what we are talking about even though we know we are talking. It happened to me once. I was talking to my friend once and I was so worried about one subject of college that without realizing I started to talk to him in another language until he said something like "what?" and I snapped back. xD_

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Review, please. Any suggetions or constructive criticism are accepted.


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